Page 31 of Dirt Driven

“I’m telling you, they’re fucking,” Hayden said, watching Caden and Kinsley near his car in the pits.

Standing, I stared at her. “She’s pregnant with his baby. Did you forget?” For a moment I watched Caden and Kinsley, smiling at how cute they are. Their interactions with one another, the way he casually kissed her neck and held his hand to her stomach reminded me of Rager and me in the beginning stages of parenting. Now we looked nothing close to that. More like stressed the fuck out.

“No, I didn’t.” Leaning forward, her arms rested on the counter of Casten’s merchandise trailer. With a puzzled expression, she cocked her head to the side as if she was trying hard to analyze their sex life, something I preferred to stay out of, but Hayden loved to get right in the middle of. “She’s just sweet and innocent. I can’t picture her having sex.”

“Lily’s sweet and innocent,” I pointed out.

“Yeah, but she—” Her lips pursed together tightly. “Never mind.”

I knew exactly what she was going to say and was thankful she chose not to. No need to start an argument or talk badly about our sister-in-law. Truth was, Lily and Axel had come a long way since Jack’s death and the unforgiving slide job their marriage took following it. And Hayden didn’t have a filter. What she thought, she said and it had gotten her in trouble a lot around the track.

“I’m hungry. Think the hot dogs are good here?”

“Probably not.”

“I’m gonna try them anyways. I like dick-shaped foods.”

I laughed and continued stacking hats in the display case. “Of course you do.”

The lady browsing through shirts on the rack outside the merchandise trailer stopped and stared at Hayden with her mouth open in what I could only assume was shock. Hayden shifted her eyes to the lady, then to me. “Why can’t people mind their business when I’m talking?”

Lily opened the door to the trailer and walked inside with Savannah on her hip. “Because you talk too loud. I can hear you down at the Outlaw trailer.”

Hayden shrugged. “It’s not my fault I have a good set of lungs.” She winked at me and bumped her hip into mine. “Just ask your brother.”

“I’d rather not.”

Fifteen minutes later, Hayden returned with two hot dogs and was halfway through one of them. “I’d think for Sin City they’d have better wieners.”

“We’re not in Vegas anymore.”

“Right.” She took a large bite from her hot dog. “I don’t even know what day of the week it is.”

“Me either.” When you’re on the road as much as we are, you easily forgot if it was Wednesday, Tuesday, or maybe even Sunday. Who knew?

Kinsley approached the trailer with Hudson on her hip and Rowyn on the other. “Look who I found trying to escape.”

“Fucking Rosa,” Hayden and I both grumbled together.

I took Hudson from Kinsley’s arms.

“That’s not even the best part,” Kinsley noted, smiling and turning Rowyn around so we could see her back. Rosa had duct taped notes to their backs that said:IF LOST RETURN TO JAR RACING.

“Nice.” Rolling my eyes, I frowned at Kinsley. “You didn’t happen to see the rest of my hoodlums, did you?”

“No, but they can’t be far.”

My eyes widened as I scanned the area between the concessions stands and the row of merchandise trailers.

“I’m kidding.” Kinsley adjusted her maternity jean shorts around her swollen belly. “They’re with Sway in the stands watching time trials.” She winked at Hudson and Rowyn, who were now playing hide and seek in the T-shirt racks in front of the trailer. “I kidnapped these two.”

“So…” Lily leaned toward me. “I hear you’re sleeping with your boss now.”

Hayden whipped her head around, eyes wide, face disgusted. “You’re sleeping with your dad?” Naturally her tone was not hushed and about three fans browsing through shirts heard her.

“No,” I gasped, slapping my hand over her mouth. “Rager is co-owner of JAR Racing.”

“Oh.” Hayden clasped her hand over her chest. “Thank fuck.”

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